Why Rahul Dravid's second stint as India coach is more crucial than his first

Less than an hour after India had heartbreakingly surrendered the World Cup 2023 final to Australia in Ahmedabad, Rahul Dravid was asked if he had given any thought to his coaching future. The former India captain’s contract as head coach of the national team had, after all, officially ended at the conclusion of India’s campaign in the tournament.

“I haven't thought about it,” he had replied that Sunday night. “I've just come off a game, I have had no time to think about this and no time to reflect on this. I will when I get the time to do that. I was completely focused on this campaign. I was focused on this World Cup, and there was nothing else on my mind.”

Reappointed 10 days after WC final loss

Ten days on, Dravid has been reappointed as the head coach by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for an as-yet unspecified duration, as has been the rest of his support staff. Or, as the BCCI put it in a press release, his contract and that of the support staff has been ‘extended’. This is without precedent in an era where calling for applications and going through the process of vetting those and conducting interviews by the three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) is the norm, but then again, this is also the era of the unprecedented so far as Indian cricket is concerned.

Like in 2015 when it had pulled off a coup by convincing Dravid to assume charge of the India ‘A’ and Under-19 sides, the BCCI must be flush with delight at ensuring that the Bengalurean will continue as the head coach of the national team for the immediate future, at the very least. In the absence of an official word, it must be assumed that Dravid will hold that role till the T20 World Cup 2024 in the US and the Caribbean in June-July, at a bare minimum. Maybe even beyond that, who knows, with the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle running through till the summer of 2025, the same year when the 50-over Champions Trophy is due to be played in Pakistan.

The BCCI’s persuasive wing must have turned on the full charm offensive in securing Dravid’s services again, because for all practical purposes, it appeared as if the 50-year-old was ready to move on. The short turnaround between series – India are scheduled to travel to South Africa in the first week of December for three T20Is, as many ODIs and two Tests, and will take on England at home in a five-Test series from the end of January – surely compelled the Board to act swiftly. It is also possible that VVS Laxman, supposedly next in line to become the head coach, expressed his reluctance to take on the role, given that he still has unfinished business to attend to with one year left in his position as the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

Dravid's report card

Whatever the reason and the route taken, few can question the wisdom behind extending Dravid’s tenure. His two years during his first stint wasn’t an unqualified success or a period of sustained highs, but Dravid now has another opportunity to also shape the future of the Indian senior teams, a task that wasn’t taken to its logical conclusion previously, especially in the Test format.

The immediate focus will shift to the shortest format, given the proximity of the World Cup. As of now, not counting the two remaining T20Is this week against Australia, India have six international games (three in South Africa, three at home against Afghanistan) and the IPL to get their combination sorted. Among the big questions is where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stand as far as T20Is are concerned. Neither man has played a T20I since November last year and there is a vast and talented pool to choose from, but there is no substitute for experience either, so that’s a call Dravid and the senior playing group must make immediately.

Next few months crucial

While, understandably, the T20 World Cup will occupy plenty of Dravid’s attention, a succession plan in Test cricket too must be put in place. Dravid inherited a settled, crack unit from Ravi Shastri and very few new faces burst through in his two years in charge; apart from Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal (who only played in the Caribbean this year), the batting group remained remarkably unaltered, India going back to Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane when it would have been more prudent to invest in the future and allow youngsters to grow around the experience and wisdom of Rohit and Kohli, among others.

It must also be a little worrisome to not have the kind of back-up support in either the pace or the spin departments. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin are still the first-choice spin combine with only Axar Patel looming as an additional option, though he is also nudging 30. As far as the pacers go, the assembly line has gone a little dry. Test matches are won on the strength and incisiveness of bowling attacks and while India might have no cause for immediate concern, the long-term picture must start to occupy the headspace of the think-tank sooner rather than later.

The next few months will be massively crucial to Indian cricket. Performances on the park will matter, without a doubt, but decisions beyond those taken on the field too assume great significance. If they aren’t already, India will emphatically slip into the throes of transition over the next year or thereabouts. A concerted effort will be required to infuse new blood around experienced heads, something that won’t be lost on Dravid. In so many ways, therefore, Dravid’s second stint will be more pivotal than his first.